German Chancellor Gets Criminal Complaint for Praising Bin Laden's Death

For those of you rejoicing in bloodlust over Osama bin Laden's death, a piece of advice: Don't go to Germany! They have this bizarre cultural thing about dancing on peoples' graves with blood pouring out of your mouth. And it's entrenched enough that German Chancellor Angela Merkel's statement about being "glad" to hear about bin Laden's death has become a major national scandal, even landing her a criminal complaint from a Hamburg judge today.

Der Spiegelreports that Merkel's "statement on Monday that she was 'glad' Osama bin Laden had been killed was among the most hotly debated topics in the German media this week." Even members Merkel's own center-right coalition — which is more liberal than America's center-right coalition, the Democratic party — said that "that no death was cause for celebration." Sixty-four percent of Germans agree.

And now, this:

But Hamburg judge Heinz Uthmann went even further. He alleges that the chancellor's statement was nothing short of illegal, and filed a criminal complaint against Merkel midweek, the daily Hamburger Morgenpost reported Friday.

"I am a law-abiding citizen and as a judge, sworn to justice and law," the 54-year-old told the paper, adding that Merkel's words were "tacky and undignified."

In his two-page document, Uthmann, a judge for 21 years, cites section 140 of the German Criminal Code, which forbids the "rewarding and approving" of crimes. In this case, Merkel endorsed a "homicide," Uthmann claimed. The violation is punishable by up to three years' imprisonment or a fine.

Jesus Christ calm down, Germany.

Germany has an interesting attitude towards free speech, especially with regards to their shameful grandparents, the Nazis. I've asked my friend who studied a year abroad in Germany if you could be arrested for walking up to a police officer and saying, "Hitler was awesome." He said yes. So now I have no reason to visit Germany.